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Room of silence : an explorative investigation of design students’ redesign of an arena for reflection and existential meaning-making

Petersson, Anna LU ; Sandin, Gunnar LU and Liljas, Maria (2016) In Mortality 21(2). p.130-148
Abstract

This paper explores design students’ proposals for a redesign of the interior of a room of silence at the SUS hospital in Malmö. Reflection and existential meaning-making are discussed in relation to the material culture of design, and more specifically in relation to four different themes found among the students’ proposals: nature as common symbolic framework and salutary force; lighting creating a visual and spatial ambience for retreat; interactive objects allowing ritualised activities; and the presence and absence of religious symbols. In this paper, we argue that architecture and design more profoundly could support people with varying existential viewpoints when it comes to providing religiously and culturally shared public... (More)

This paper explores design students’ proposals for a redesign of the interior of a room of silence at the SUS hospital in Malmö. Reflection and existential meaning-making are discussed in relation to the material culture of design, and more specifically in relation to four different themes found among the students’ proposals: nature as common symbolic framework and salutary force; lighting creating a visual and spatial ambience for retreat; interactive objects allowing ritualised activities; and the presence and absence of religious symbols. In this paper, we argue that architecture and design more profoundly could support people with varying existential viewpoints when it comes to providing religiously and culturally shared public spaces for dealing with existentially crucial moments. We also argue for an interdisciplinary research approach to healing environments, where existential meaning-making is included in the overall discussion of the design of health care architecture.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
architecture, design, existential meaning-making, healing environments, health care
in
Mortality
volume
21
issue
2
pages
19 pages
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:84959106739
ISSN
1357-6275
DOI
10.1080/13576275.2015.1046825
project
CAMINE: Cemetery Architecture, Meaning-making Intentions and Experiences
Placebo: Aesthetic Replacement Strategies for a Sustainable Hospital Environment
Architecture in Secular and Post-secular Conditions: on the Aesthetics of Objectionable Matter.
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
22199f3c-e798-4d22-92af-b45ed5531543
date added to LUP
2016-05-18 12:49:45
date last changed
2022-03-23 23:15:22
@article{22199f3c-e798-4d22-92af-b45ed5531543,
  abstract     = {{<p>This paper explores design students’ proposals for a redesign of the interior of a room of silence at the SUS hospital in Malmö. Reflection and existential meaning-making are discussed in relation to the material culture of design, and more specifically in relation to four different themes found among the students’ proposals: nature as common symbolic framework and salutary force; lighting creating a visual and spatial ambience for retreat; interactive objects allowing ritualised activities; and the presence and absence of religious symbols. In this paper, we argue that architecture and design more profoundly could support people with varying existential viewpoints when it comes to providing religiously and culturally shared public spaces for dealing with existentially crucial moments. We also argue for an interdisciplinary research approach to healing environments, where existential meaning-making is included in the overall discussion of the design of health care architecture.</p>}},
  author       = {{Petersson, Anna and Sandin, Gunnar and Liljas, Maria}},
  issn         = {{1357-6275}},
  keywords     = {{architecture; design; existential meaning-making; healing environments; health care}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{130--148}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Mortality}},
  title        = {{Room of silence : an explorative investigation of design students’ redesign of an arena for reflection and existential meaning-making}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13576275.2015.1046825}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/13576275.2015.1046825}},
  volume       = {{21}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}